Heat and humidity are a unique challenge to gardening in South Carolina, and selecting plants and trees that can survive the summer is critical to landscaping success in the Palmetto state. Luckily, with milder winters, you have a fairly wide range of options.

If you want plants, trees and shrubs that can pass muster with the Carolina heat, then try your hand at plants that are indigenous to the area. These native species will thrive in the local planting zone with little effort since they come from South Carolina.

Start with American Red Maple for a tree that is a common citizen of South Carolina. It’s a quick grower and shoots up at least 3 feet per year, so you are guaranteed a majestic tree in a short time frame. Stunning bright red flowers kick off the spring season and it blazes with fall color as well. It’s the perfect tree to create shade in a zone known for great heat.

River Birch is common to South Carolina, and its beautiful papery bark is an unbelievable sight no matter what the season. This stunning ornamental sports fluttery leaves that sway in the wind, and is known for having multiple trunks. It’s fast growing and adapts to drought and even occasional wet areas.

If a flowering shrub is your desire, the Catawba Crape Myrtle is a local son that will blow you away with its pale purple blossoms. Any of our other Myrtle’s would be up your alley as well in SC, and you will be assured massive blooms from early summer to frost.

Azaleas will bless you with gaggles of blossoms for endless months, and are so easy to care for you don’t need to do a thing to keep them sharp looking. You’ll have plenty of colors to choose from to match your landscaping palette, too.

Camellia’s are a South Carolina favorite and a no-brainer to put in your garden. They have the benefit of being evergreen and deer resistant, but the real surprise comes with the late fall and winter blooms. While everything else is dormant in the garden, Camellia’s are popping with bold color.

Deep watering is the key to victory when gardening in South Carolina. In times of drought or particularly hot sun, be sure to water your plants thoroughly. Try Tree Gator watering drip bags around your newly planted trees and shrubs in this area, so you can provide continual water to the root ball directly and minimize on water waste.